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Earth, too hostile to living beings at the end of this century?

The news was released on July 9, 2017 in the very serious New York Magazine. Scientists are developing eight disaster scenarios making, say, cold in the back. Among these scenarios, we find well-known concepts, including melting ice, rising temperatures and air pollution or acidification of the oceans.

Permafrost covering 1 / 5th of the Earth’s surface has become a major concern for scientists since it does not remain completely frozen permanently, as it has been in the past. The problem is that Arctic permafrost contains 1.8 trillion tonnes of carbon just waiting to be released. The carbon in question is usually released in the form of methane, a greenhouse gas 34 times more harmfulthan carbon dioxide. Obviously, melting ice threatens shorelines and islands near sea level.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has set standards for air quality. However, two billion humans will breathe more polluted air than the norms predict, and this, on the eve of the next century, in 2090. Are accused of industrial pollution, as well as deforestation in the Amazon which alone provides 20% oxygen available on Earth. In addition, since a third of carbon is absorbed by water, ocean acidification is also a source of great concern.

Finally, there are other risks that researchers have mentioned. For example, the potential emergence of new diseases transmitted via bacteria released by ice melting. The drought is also expected to transform a large number of areas into uninhabitable deserts, which could lead to famine. There are also resource pressures such as dwindling water and survival-based conflicts that are expected to increase. Moreover, whether there is a resource at stake or not, wars and other conflicts could unfortunately play a destructive role for the quality of life that our planet has offered us for millennia.

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